Located near a wide low pass in the Western Ghats mountain ranges, Palakkad is the land of Palmyras and Paddy Fields and is famous as the chief granary of Kerala. This is the area which links Kerala to Tamil Nadu and perhaps does so in a cultural sense too, since the language spoken in the villages here is Tamil, unlike the rest of the state where Malayalam is prevalent. Some other locations that can be visited in the area include the Palakkad Fort, Silent Valley National Park, , Dhoni waterfalls, etc.

Palakkad Fort

The fort is also known as Tipu’s Fort. It was built by Haider Ali in 1766 and one of the best preserved forts in Kerala. Palakkad Fort- Tippu’s Fort has great historical importance and also represents the rich cultural heritage of Kerala. The Fort narrates the history of Mysore invasion and the advent of the British to the region.

Palakkad Fort is a unique piece of architecture.The fort is square in shape, with a drawbridge at the entrance and bastions at all four corners as well as in the centre, sits on a gentle hillock, to one end of the arterial Sultan pet area of town. Water flows in the moat and one unconsciously searches for the rare croc or maybe a monitor lizard immobile on a bank; there is nary even a fish to be seen, though.

Rock Garden , Malampuzha

South India’s first garden of this sort, the rock garden is built out of waste such as broken bangle pieces, plastic and tin cans, etc. It is the brilliant artistry of Padmashree Nek Chand Saini. He sculpted the rock garden akin to the one he made in Chandigarh.

Malampuzha Dam Rock Garden’s prime attraction is that all the art and sculptures are made out of waste items such as tiles, granite, stones, electricity fuse wires,

Dhoni waterfall

Dhoni Waterfall near Palakkad is a popular picnic spot in the state, Dhoni waterfall is located in Dhoni hills near Palakkad, Access to the waterfalls requires a 3 hour trek to the top of Dhoni hills through the forest. This major restrictive factor cuts down visitor numbers to a great extant

For adventure seekers, there is an exciting trekking path from Dhoni waterfall to Malampuzha dam. This 5 Kilometres path through forest is access restricted. Trekking needs prior permission from the District Forest Officer. A local guide will lead you through a trail of danger and beauty

Silent Valley National Park

Silent Valley National Park is a beautiful place, located in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala. The park is located in the Nilgiri hills. Silent Valley region is locally known as Sairandhrivanam.

This park is one of the last undisturbed tracts of South Western Ghats mountain rain forest and tropical moist evergreen forest in India. Silent Valley is considered one of the most ecologically diverse areas on the planet. The Park is famous for its unique and diverse wildlife and bird species. The rich wildlife includes Long tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Malabar giant squirrel, Nilgiri tahr, Hairy winged bat, Hanuman langur, Tiger, Leopard, Leopard cat, Jungle cat, Fishing cat, Common palm civet, Small Indian civet etc. Silent Valley is home to the largest population of Lion tailed macaques, an endangered of primate. Various species of birds such as Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Rufous Babbler, Crimson Backed Sunbird, Nilgiri Blue Robin, Grey Headed Bulbul, White-Bellied Treepie, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Ceylon Frogmouth, Red Winged Crested Cuckoo are also found here.

Parambikulam Wild Life Sanctuary

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is a well protected ecological portion in the Nelliampathy – Anamalai landscape of the Southern Western Ghats in India. It is located in the Palakkad District of Kerala, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is the most protected ecological piece of Anamalai sub unit of Western Ghats, surrounded on all sides by protected areas and sanctuaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as part of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve on February 19, 2010. The Western Ghats, Anamalai Sub-Cluster, including all of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site.

The sanctuary has a rich diversity of animal life including: Mammals 39 species, Amphibians 16 sp., Birds 268 sp., Reptiles 61 sp., Fish 47 sp., Insects 1049 sp. and Butterflies 124 sp. This sanctuary is also referred to as the “state capital for the massive gaur” by wildlife experts

The sanctuary has a variety of trees mainly teak, neem, sandalwood and rosewood. Even the oldest ever teak tree, Kannimara Teak exists here. It is about 450 years old and has a girth of 6.8 metres (22 ft) and a height of 49.5 metres (162 ft). It won the Mahavriksha Puraskar given by the Indian Government.

Malampuzha Dam

Malampuzha Dam is the largest reservoir in Kerala, he dam is 355 feet high and crosses the Malampuza river which is a tributary of Bharatappuza which is Kerala’s second largest river.
Malampuzha Dam is not far from Palakkad with the lush green hills of the Western Ghats forming a magnificent backdrop. Malampuzha Dam is a very popular picnic spot – so make sure you take a basket and enjoy the site. A half-day trip is more than enough to see the entire dam, the adjoining garden, the rope way etc. The dam also provides several scenic points for tourist

Around the reservoir of the dam are beautiful gardens and amusement parks. Boating facilities are available on the lake. Other attractions in the Malampuzha garden are the beautiful rock garden, the fish-shaped aquarium, the snake park, the ropeway which takes you on an aerial tour of the park, and the gigantic Yakshi (an enchantress) sculptured by Kanai Kunhiraman, a renowned sculptor of Kerala. If your planing to visit Kerala. Make your Holidays to Kerala memorable with Estire Holidays. We offer best Kerala Tour Packages, Kerala Holiday Packages, Kerala Honeymoon Packages.